Chapter 255: Starbloom City Once Again Azel sighed. "I understand you’re sleepy but can you stop resting on me?" he asked. They were inside a Sky Ferry... this world’s version of an airship that connected cities across the empire. It was the fastest and most common way to travel between nations, or even reach the Academy Island that floated high above the mainland. Right now, their Sky Ferry was headed straight for the Starbloom Empire capital, Starbloom City. The ride was smooth and the skies wete clear. For now at least. In a few years during the Sixth Calamity, flying like this would be suicide. Sky Ferries would be nothing but easy targets for monsters that ruled the skies. But at this point in time, air travel was still safe... and rather peaceful. The interior of the ferry resembled a miniature blimp, though it was more elegant. There were no windows, only glowing panels that mimicked light from the outside world. Passengers could barely tell how high they were or what direction they were going.... It was only the hum of the magic engines that reminded them they were flying. It was supposed to be a calm trip. Four hours of quiet flight, which was enough time for Azel to rest, review his textbooks, or simply plan for what awaited them in Starbloom City. But there was one problem. There were two seats per row. And Mynes was resting her head on his lap. Azel looked at her with clear disbelief. She wore a simple dress: a long coat with a traveling hat which made her look beautiful, not that he would admit it. "I haven’t slept in two days," Mynes said, her voice muffled as she made herself comfortable. "We’re about to meet the King, a hall full of angry nobles, and my mother... Oh, and don’t forget Grand Mage Trisha. Don’t you think I deserve a little break?" Azel stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. "I can’t find a flaw in your argument," he admitted, then added quietly, "But... does it have to be my lap?" "The chairs are rock hard," she said immediately, not even lifting her head. Azel pressed his lips together and looked away. "Fine," he muttered. Many passengers were looking. Some smiled and the others stopped looking. To them, it looked like a couple being unreasonably affectionate in public. Azel ignored them all. ... When the Sky Ferry finally landed, the passengers stood and began retrieving their belongings. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶 Azel gently nudged Mynes awake. "Hey. We’re here." She blinked twice, her eyes half-open, then stretched like a cat. "Mmm... that was the best nap I’ve had in weeks." "I’m glad my lap served such an honorable purpose," Azel said dryly. She smiled. "You’re a good pillow." He ignored that one. As they stepped out of the Sky Ferry, Azel stopped and looked back at it. The vessel hovered on a floating dock, its long silver hull glowing under the sunlight. ’I have to hand it to whoever designed this thing,’ he thought. ’Flying in one of these is a lot more comfortable than I expected.’ He glanced over at Mynes, who seemed fully rejuvenated now, already fixing her hat and dusting off her coat. She looked nothing like the tired woman from earlier. "So, where to?" Azel asked, shifting his travel bag to his shoulder. "We’re being picked up," Mynes said, adjusting her hat’s brim lower to cover her face. They didn’t have to wait long. A white-haired man in a pristine black suit approached them from the platform. When he reached them, he bowed respectfully. "My Lady Mynes," he greeted. Then he turned to Azel, and his eyes briefly glowed with a magical light. "And Lord Azel. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both. I am Head Butler Bryce, and I’ve been tasked with escorting you to the Palace." "I see," Azel said, scanning their surroundings. "I don’t mean to sound rude, but... where’s the carriage?" The butler chuckled softly. "Carriage?" he repeated with amusement in his eyes. "Oh no, my lord. We’ll be taking a more... efficient route." Before Azel could ask what he meant, a large magic circle formed beneath their feet. In the blink of an eye, the world changed around them. Azel’s vision blurred for a moment before clearing again. When he looked around, he was no longer at the floating dock where they had just landed... but instead standing before a familiar, towering castle. The magic circle beneath them faded into the ground. The transition had been so smooth that he hadn’t even felt the shift in space. He turned to Bryce, who was smiling politely. ’A teleportation mage...’ Azel thought, impressed with what he had just felt. ’I need one of those someday. That would make life a lot easier.’ "Your mother is waiting for you inside," Bryce said as he turned to Mynes. He reached out, straightened her slightly tilted hat, and then stepped back. "Please be on your best behavior, Lady Mynes. For your sake." Mynes raised an eyebrow. "I understand, Bryce. Best behavior. Got it," she said with a half-smile. Bryce gave a slow nod, clearly unconvinced. Then, turning to Azel, he placed a firm hand on the young man’s back. "I understand my lady can be... troublesome," the butler said with a knowing glint in his eye. "But please, do not let that prevent you from taking her hand in marriage." Azel blinked. Once. And then twice. ’Excuse me?’ he thought blankly. ’Who the hell would want to marry this woman?’ Before he could respond, Mynes let out an exasperated sigh. "Hey, don’t pressure my student," she said, grabbing Azel’s hand and pulling him away from the butler. "Let’s go. Bryce is annoying." She practically dragged him across the courtyard. ’What kind of family have I gotten myself involved with?’ he thought, glancing back at the polite butler still smiling at them. He could only hope that Mynes’s mother would be more reasonable or even more mature than her daughter. At least... he hoped so.